October is Manufacturing Month! The Manufacturing Industry in Minnesota
and Wisconsin might not be what you expect.
Over the course of October, NORTHFORCE in partnership with APEX has coordinated visits by local schools — Denfield, East, Hermantown, Proctor, Esko, Cloquet, and Wrenshall/Carlton — to nine regional manufacturers: AAR, Altec, Cirrus, IKONICS, IPS Cranes, SCS Interiors, Bendtec, Sappi, and USG. In total, 25 visits were facilitated for approximately 300 students, who learned first-hand about the wide range of great manufacturing career pathways available in the area.
Also in the last month, NORTHFORCE toured TriTec (based in Virginia, MN), Ziegler CAT (based in Buhl, MN), and AMSOIL (based in Superior, WI). All three major manufacturing facilities are growing.
The tours of TriTec and Ziegler stemmed out of a current shortage of skilled welders. This shortage is not only being experienced here, but across the region. The IRRRB brought together industry agencies and educational partners to address the concerns and develop short and long term solutions.
If you’re interested in welding jobs here in the region — search now! Starting wages are anywhere from $14-$23/hour. These are great local jobs with plenty of career advancement opportunities.
The tour of AMSOIL was in conjunction with The College of St. Scholastica’s Community Day on October 4. The School of Business & Technology and Career Services departments at The College of St. Scholastica teamed up with NORTHFORCE to provide their business students with the opportunity to experientially explore their fields of professional interest.
One of the participating employers in this pilot project was AMSOIL, the 
Superior, WI-based inventor of synthetic oil. AMSOIL strongly focuses on great first impressions — and that is definitely what NORTHFORCE and CSS students received while on-site. A strong attention to detail guides every aspect of AMSOIL, from positive company culture to a flawless facility — all nine acres of it under one roof! From IT, to finance, to packaging, there are lots of professional opportunities within this company.
Want to work for AMSOIL? Be sure to include a stand-out purpose statement with your application, radiate positivity, energy, and passion, and understand the company thoroughly before you apply. Click HERE to see current openings with AMSOIL!
The bottom line? Numbers don’t lie. According to DEED, average annual wages in manufacturing were $57,468 in 2016. That’s nearly 38% higher than average wages across all regional industries.
